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Long Road to Hard Truth: The 100 Year Mission to Create the National Museum of African American History and Culture Paperback – September 13, 2016

by Robert Leon Wilkins (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 59 ratings
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In Long Road to Hard Truth: The 100 Year Mission to Create the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Robert L. Wilkins tells the story of how his curiosity about why there wasn't a national museum dedicated to African American history and culture became an obsession-eventually leading him to quit his job as an attorney when his wife was seven months pregnant with their second child, and make it his mission to help the museum become a reality. Long Road to Hard Truth chronicles the early history, when staunch advocates sought to create a monument for Black soldiers fifty years after the end of the Civil War and in response to the pervasive indignities of the time, including lynching, Jim Crow segregation, and the slander of the racist film Birth of a Nation. The movement soon evolved to envision creating a national museum, and Wilkins follows the endless obstacles through the decades, culminating in his honor of becoming a member of the Presidential Commission that wrote the plan for creating the museum and how, with support of both Black and White Democrats and Republicans, Congress finally authorized the museum. In September 2016, exactly 100 years after the movement to create it began, the Smithsonian will open the National Museum of African American History and Culture. The book's title is inspired in part by James Baldwin, who testified in Congress in 1968 that "My history… contains the truth about America. It is going to be hard to teach it." Long Road to Hard Truth concludes that this journey took 100 years because many in America are unwilling to confront the history of America's legacy of slavery and discrimination, and that the only reason this museum finally became a reality is that an unlikely, bipartisan coalition of political leaders had the courage and wisdom to declare that America could not, and should not, continue to evade the hard truth.
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  1. Print length
    160 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Proud Legacy Publishing
  4. Publication date
    September 13, 2016
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 0.5 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    9780997910414
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0997910414
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

A brief history of the creation of the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.

Shortly after the conclusion of the Civil War, a "Grand Review," or a massive military parade, was organized to celebrate the accomplishments and sacrifices of the Union soldiers. Although 200,000 veterans marched over two days, African-American soldiers felt disenfranchised from the celebratory affair, in which they were relegated to second-class status. George Washington Williams, a well-known African-American historian, responded to this under representation by proposing the construction of a monument commemorating the African-American soldier. In 1915, a re enactment of the Grand Review was staged, and an organization called the National Memorial Association formed in response to it, which officially advocated for Williams' proposal. By the 1920s, the original idea of a monument had grown to encompass a full memorial building of some kind, which would not only honor the martial valor of African-Americans, but also acknowledge their contributions to the United States in other domains. In 1929, President Calvin Coolidge signed legislation into law that sanctioned the creation of a National Memorial Building to Negro Achievement and Contributions to America, but it was a stillborn measure, radically underfunded. Yet another bill was introduced in 1965 to study the feasibility of a museum devoted to African-American history, but that project, too, died from neglect, as did another in 1995. Eventually, however, the National African American Museum and Cultural Complex was formed, and Wilkins, the debut author of this book, was its president. He's spent 20 years researching this work, which is nearly as much of a purposeful labor of love as the museum itself. In it, he skillfully relates not only the myriad practical problems—political, financial, and otherwise that slowed the museum project down, but also addresses its moral dimension, as well as the sometimes-tepid support the project had in the African American community. Ultimately, the author furnishes a rigorous history that captures the struggle of African-American people and the proud contributions they made to a country that did not always accept them: "The beauty of the African American story is that the toil of our people has not been in vain," he writes. Given all the historical minutiae that Wilkins provides, it's a surprisingly gripping historical drama.

A delightful, edifying tale written with intelligence and emotional sensitivity.

Kirkus Reviews

"Comprehensive yet refreshingly brisk account," "delivers a passionate narrative of the struggle to honor and share the complex and powerful stories of African-American people" ~ BookLife, Publishers Weekly

"Judge Robert Wilkins was a knowledgeable, passionate, and persistent visionary in the effort to make the National Museum of African American History and Culture a reality. The Long Road to Hard Truth demonstrates that the greatest achievements often require a legacy of struggle to be birthed into existence. It is about a people who never gave up on themselves, regardless of difficulty, and in the end made a contribution that will serve all of humanity. Both Robert and I are proud to have played a role in that effort." ~ Congressman John Lewis

One of the "Best Books of 2016" ~ Bloomberg

About the Author

Robert L. Wilkins is a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. He served as chairman of the site and building committee of the Presidential Commission that Congress established to plan the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Prior to becoming a judge, he was an attorney with the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia and a partner in a large private law firm. He is a graduate of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and Harvard Law School.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0997910410
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Proud Legacy Publishing (September 13, 2016)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 160 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780997910414
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0997910414
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.5 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 59 ratings

About the author

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Robert Leon Wilkins

Robert Leon Wilkins

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Judge Robert L. Wilkins was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on January 15, 2014. A native of Muncie Indiana, he obtained a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in 1986 and a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1989. Following law school, Judge Wilkins served as a law clerk to the Honorable Earl B. Gilliam of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. In 1990, he joined the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, where he served first as a staff attorney in the trial and appellate divisions and later for several years as Special Litigation Chief. In 2002, he joined the law firm of Venable LLP as a partner, handling white-collar defense, intellectual property and complex civil litigation matters. During his tenure with the Public Defender Service and in private practice, Judge Wilkins served as the lead plaintiff in Wilkins, et al. v. State of Maryland, a landmark civil rights lawsuit that inspired nationwide legislative and executive reform of police stop-and-search practices and the collection of data regarding those practices. Judge Wilkins also played a key role in the establishment of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (scheduled to open in September 2016 on the National Mall), serving as the Chairman of the Site and Building Committee of the Presidential Commission whose work led to the Congressional authorization of the museum and the selection of its location. As a practicing lawyer, he was named one of the “40 under 40 most successful young litigators in America” by the National Law Journal (2002) and one of the “90 Greatest Washington Lawyers of the Last 30 Years” by the Legal Times (2008). On December 27, 2010, Judge Wilkins was appointed United States District Judge for the District of Columbia, where he served until his appointment to the D.C. Circuit.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
59 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Deric Colbert Sr.
5.0 out of 5 stars Book
Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2023
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Great Book and history galore.
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Angela J. Davis
5.0 out of 5 stars The Amazing Story of How the NMAAHC Was Built
Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2017
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Robert Wilkins does a great job of recounting the surprising story of how long it took to establish the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Well-researched and well-written, this book will leave the reader with a great appreciation of the struggle to build this beautiful museum that now stands as the crowning glory of the National Mall. Most interesting is the critical role that Wilkins himself played in making the dream of this museum a reality. This is a must-read for anyone interested in the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
4 people found this helpful
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No Pen Name
5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring!
Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2018
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Excellent book. Amazing what it took to establish this important institution. The author is a hero for his persistence and the many other skills that led to this museum.
2 people found this helpful
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LaVerne T. Walker
4.0 out of 5 stars Three purchases for Christmas gifts. I thought they were all appropriate gifts.
Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2017
Verified Purchase
I gave 15 of the "Long Road to Hard Truth" to my family members and have already gotten very good feedback. My brother and his extended family visited the Museum on Christmas Eve and were very impressed but also saddened and angered that we seem to be going in such a "Zig Zag manner as noted by Lillian Smith in "Killers of the Dream".
3 people found this helpful
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DeeDee 747
5.0 out of 5 stars Long Road to Hard Truth: The 100 Year Mission
Reviewed in the United States on December 10, 2019
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Very informative. Great information within. Would purchase as a gift.
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MUSA ABDUL-MAJEED
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2017
Verified Purchase
This book was priced well and inexpensive and tells a story about the history of African Americans.
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Tamika J.
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect
Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2019
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My mom loved it
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K. Carey
4.0 out of 5 stars Educational
Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2016
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Important read. Liked getting educated on our history as a nation. It's a story that needs telling.
2 people found this helpful
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